Air-brake valve.



G. S. SWITZER.

AIR BRAKE VALVE.

APPLICATION FILED NQV.10.1913,

1,127,826. 7 v Patented Feb.9, 1915.

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AIR BRAKE VALVE.

-'-|'PLIOATION FILED NOV. 10. 1913.

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' AIR-BRAKE. VALVE.

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Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed November 1913. Serial m.- 300,211.

- To all whom it may concern v Grand Rapids, in thecounty of Kent andStateof Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inAir-Brake Valves, of which the following is aspecifiat n:

My invention relates to improvements in brake valves for use with airbrakes on railroad trains, and its objects are? First, to

provide an auxiliary valve to use in con junction with ordinaryWestinghouse valves in emergencies, as if the Westinghouse valve becameinoperative. Second. to provide an auxiliary valve of simpleconstruction that could be easily adjusted to meet all of the demandsthat might be required of the ll estinghouse valve, and, third, -toprovide an auniliary 'valve that will remain absolutely inactive whenthe Westinghouse valve is in operative condition, and may be immediatelyswitched into operative position if the Vvestinghouse 'val ve becomesdefective. I attain these ob3ects by the mechanism illustrated in theaccompanying drawing, i

Figure 1 is an elevation of an ordinary lVestinghouse system of valves,pipes, and air compression amoliances. with my appliance shown inconnection therewith; 1F lg. 2 is a plan of the same. Fig. 3 is asectional plan ot a coupling by means of which the two valves may beconnected with one line of brake pipes and either valve H8961 as m ybesire ss a vertical s c- .tionof my valve looking to the left from theline X X of Fig. .6. Fig. 5 is a like view looking to'the right fromsaid line. Fig. 6 is a sectional view of my valve practically on theline ,1 y of Fig. 4; with the parts in position ztor serviceapplication. Fig. 7 is the same with the parts in position to hold thepressurethat has passed into the brake cy nder whenthe parts were inservice application position. Fig. 8 is they same showing the parts inposition for emergency pplica ion. and Fig.9 is the same with the partsshown in position to be chargedfrom the. main reservoir.

.Simi-lar reference characters refer to lar parts throughout the severalviews.

My valve consists of a cylinder 1 which is provided with an inletopening 2 and .two outlet openings, 11 and 18, and with-a vertical port6 t at ea s to the open ng 18. and

a port 10 that leads to the open air. This cylinder has a cap B that issecured to one end thereof and has an inlet opening 19 to the center ofthe cylinder. The opening in the cylinder is made slightly tapering anda plug orbarrel A' is fitted therein to be made to oscillate freely, andyet to form an air-tight joint or hearing in the cylinder. This barrelhas a central chamber 13 in position to receive air from the opening 19,and also a port 12 that leads from the chamber 13 in position to bereadily made to register with the port or opening 11 in the cylinder, byturning the barrel A to the .proper position in the cylinder. Thisbarrel 1S also'pro'vided with a port 3 that extends about one third ofthe way around the upper end of the barrel, and a port 15 that extendsfrom the side of the port 3 across the top of the barrel to the oppositeside thereof, the two ports being so located that when the port 3registers with the opening 2 the port 15 maybe made to register with theopening 11 in the cylinder. The barrel Aalso has a port 89 designed toform an opening between the ports 10 and .11 in the cylinder '1. Thisvalve is properly connected in the line 2?--37 of the air brake system,and the barrel A is manipulated by means of the lever 17, all ashereinafter more fully explained.

In the construction of my valve I make use of ,a cylinder'l having avalve barrel A and a retaining plate B. The cylinder 1 has an opening 2for the reception of the pipe 27 which is connected. through the pipe25, with the compression chamber 22 so that compressed air may beconducted directly from said chamber 22 into the port 3. When the valvelever 17 is placed in the 'position -oi thedotted lines in Fig. 6 thecross port/15 is made to open directly into the valve port ll'asindicated by the dotted lines in said figure and allow a free flow ofcompressed air from the chamber 22 through the port 1.1 and the pipe 25,and the pipe 31 to the Y valve 33 and into the pipe 35 which ,passesdirectly to the triple valves common in air brake construction and notnecessary to be described in this connection as it has no directconnection with my valve. l/Vhen the valve barrel A is in this positionthe port 7, indicated by dotted lines in the several views, will becarried around so that its left hand wall will be at the point indicatedby the point of Patented net. 9;, 1915. i

the arrow in Fig. 6 mid an opening will be 7 ports in the valve areclosed andv no air pressure can pass through the valve 1, hence anypressure in any pipe leading to or from this valve will be held constantin said pipe.

If it is desired to reduce the pressure in the train brake pipe 31 onlythe lever 17 is carried over to the position indicated by the solidlines in Fig. 6 when the port 9 is opened to the port 1.0 and the air inthe train brake pipe is allowed to escape through these ports. It willbe noted, b reference to Fig. 5, that the ports 5 and are on diflerentplanes so that when the lever 17 is in the position shown in Fig. 6there is no communication between the ports 4 and 5 for the escape ofair from the compression chamber 13 in the barrel A to the open air, andthe port 5 is always blanked except when the valve barrel is carriedover to emergency position, indicated in Fig. 8, when a full, free flowof air is allowed from the train brake pipes 3135 through the ports 11,8 and 10 to cause the immediate setting of the train brakes; and theport 5 through the wall of the valve barrel A will be carried around toconnect directly with the port 6 and the opening 18 through which directaction is had upon the engine and tender brakes through the pipe 37 andthe brake cylinders 2438, and all brakes, both on the train and on theengine and tender, are immediately set.

With the lever 17 in the position indicated in Fig. 9 all valves andports are closed except that the port 12 isopened to the port 11 andpressure is taken directly from the compression chamber 22, around thereducing valve 28 and into the chamber 13 in the valve barrel A andthence to-the train brake pipes under the full pressure of the chamber22. \Vhen this position of the valve barrel is reached notice thereof isgiven by the escape of air through-the small, orifice 14 to the openair. V This valve is used as an auxiliary to the E. T. Westinghouseautomatic brake valve indicated at 21 to which compressed air isconducted from the chamber 22 through the pipe 25,- my valve beingsupplied from this pipe by switching through the pipe 27 to the directacting ports 2, 3, 15 and 11, and for main pressure service the air isagain switched through' the pipe 30 into the port 19;the compressionchamber 13 and the port 12 into the brake valve pipe, as hereinbeforedescribed.

\35 to the vat-a valve 33, b

When the,E. T. valve is in use there is always a backspressure from thebrake pipes .Jo'y way of the port I) in the ticn or varying hismovements necessary to properly and conveniently it is desired to cutout the E. T. valve this can be done by means of the plug valve 34 inthe port a of the valve 33, orby the valve 40 which is located in thepipe 39 that connects the valve 21 with the pipe 41, and by manipulatingthe actuating lever C of the E. T. valve in the usual way, and the valve1 may be made efiective by opening the valves 29 and 44 and 45 andmanipulating the lever 17 as hereinbefore described. l

The parts 32 and 36 represent the ordinary flexible connecting pipes inuse with all air brakes or connecting the .pipes between cars.

26 represents a cut-off valve in the pipe 25 with which to cut off theflow of air from the chamber 22 to the several brake pipes.

:the valve 1, or other operating valve, so that the pressure in thechamber 13 is always higher than that in the upper portions of the valveor the ports 3-15.

16 represents an arm and bracket by means of which the valve maybebolted to a. supporting element, and 20 representsa guard for holdingthe lever 17 in desiredpositions. V

The auxiliary valve 1 should be placed in the engine cab and in the lineof brake pipes in such a position as to be easily accessible to theengineer without changing his posirorn those manipulate the ordinaryengineers valve,

whenever the necessity arises for bringing ,thls valve into use.

.but leave the valves 44 and 45 open and the lever 17 in operativeposition, or the position indicated by the dotted lines in Fig. 6, butif .the E. T. valve does not work properly the .valves 34 and 40 shouldbe closed and the valves 29,44 and 45 opened so thata free flow of airmay be insured from the chamber 22 to, and through the valve 1, ashereinbefore described in connection with the several positions of thelever 17 and the several ports in this valve.

While I have so far described my valve simply as an auxiliary to the E.T. valve menace .and ;for use only in cases of extreme emer- .gencies,it" will be readily :understood that it may he used with perfect successindependent, and in the place of any other form of brake valve, and,further, that with the peculiar construction and vdistribution of thevalve. barrel and its several ports this valve may he used independentof any out ofi valves before, or back of it and all manipulations of thevalve controlled and regulated by the lever 17.

43 is the pipe that connects the valve 1, from the opening 18, with thepipe 37 that charges the engine and tender brake cylinders 23, 24 and38. i

It is to be understood that the valve pipes 31, 35 are always open fromthe triple valves hack to the valve .45, and when this valve .isopenthey, are always open to my valve so that even though the anglevalve or plug 34 he closed accidentally or maliciously it is impossibleto cut my valve oil fiom the train brake system, and the operativenessof the brake system will not he 'afiected even though the ordinary or E.T. valve 21 be entirely out off from the system back of the tender Wherethe angle valve or Y connection 33 is located.

' I wish it to be distinctly understood that the angle valve orVconnection '33 is one of the most necessary elements in my invention aswithout it the use of my valve in the same line with, but independent ofthe E. T. valve would be impossible, and the inaccessible position inwhich the Y valve is located, at the hackend of the engine tenderrenders it very desirable that the brake connections he in position tobe worked by my valve even thoughthe E. T. valve 21 is cut out, as, forinstance, in case of a hold up, where the parties attempting to hold 11the trainhave closed the valve 3% to the engineer still has directaccess to his train brakes from my valve. while. at the same time, myvalve is so arranged that even though in condition to be immediatelyconnected with the train brakes it will, when all ports are'closed, outOK all flow of air back from the brakes.

The port 6 is so located that it opens a direct passage way from theport 3 to the opening 18 when the barrel is in the position indicated inFigs. 4, I5, 6 and a, to close said passage waywhen the barrel is in theposition indicated in Fig. 7, and to open into the port 8 when thebarrel is'in the position indicated in Fig. 9. Thus, when the compressedair is being taken from the compression chamber 22 directly into thechamber 13 and thence directly to the train brakes.

through the opening 11, all openings from the compressed air chambers orpipes to the opening 18 are cut often there is no possibility ofcompressed "air being forced, into a h relieved aser m 'l"; valve the Ithrough the wall of and brake-cylinders easiest to in auy way aliectflieaction of these brakes.

What I claim as new, and desmeto secure by Letters Patent of the UnitedStates, 1s: 4. v

.1. combination with th compression chamber, air pipes and brakemechanism Of a railway an brake system, a valve con-.

sisting of an outer cylinder having an inflow pipe and an outflow pipedirectly 'opposite each other, and havlng an open port through its wall,a valve barrel havin a peripheral port in. one side and a ranchtherefrom directly across the barrel in position to be made to. form apassage from the inflow pipe to the outflow pipe to actuate-the brakes,and, also, having a port for conducting air from the outflow pipe inflowpipe and an outflow pipe connected with said cylinder on opposite sidesthereof,*said cylinder having a port through the wall near the outflowpipe, an outflow pipe at right angleswith the 'lizrst named pipes but ona difi'erent plane, the cylinder'having. a longitudinal port leadingfrom the plane of the inflow and outflow pipes to the right angleoutflow pipe, said cylinder having a port through its wall near theright angle outflow pipe, a valve barrel having a peripheral port in oneside that maybe made to cover .the'inflow pipe and the width of thelongitudinal port in the cylinder, also a c ros's port that may be madeto conduct air from the inflow pipe to the outflow pipe on the sameplane, a second peripheral port to connect the first mentioned outflowpipe with the open air port in the cylinder wall, and a peripheralporton the plane of the right angle outfiow pipe in position to conmeetthis outflow the cylinder when the barrel is in'proper position, andmeans for operating the valve to apply and release the brake mechanism,as described;

3. In combination with the compression chamber conductor pipes and brakemechamsm 0 an air brake system for railwayder, an outflow pip'enear theother end of the cylinder, the cylinder having a longipipe with the porttudinal port extending from the plane of the inflow and outflowpipes tothe plane of the single outflow pipe, and two ports through its wall tothe open air, a valve barrel having peripheral and cross ports in aposition to' 'iorm a' tree passage from the a pipe to the outflow pipeand also "from the inflow pipe to the longitudinal port, and also portsfor conducting air from the outflow pipes to the open air when thebarrel is properly positioned, said barrel also having a chamber in oneend and a port leading therefrom to the plane of the inflow and outflowpipes and also a port through its wall on the plane of thesingle outflowpipe, a cap for closing the endof the cylinder, an auxiliar inflow pipeleading through said-cap to t e chamber in the bar-- rel, and means forrevolving the valve barrel to bring the several POIts in desiredpositions to set and release the brakes, substantially as shown anddescribed.

4. In combination with the compression chamber, conductor ipes, andbrake mechanism of an air bra e sfystem for railway cars, a valveconsisting 0 an outer cylinder, an inflow pipe and an outflow pipeconnected near one end of the cylinder and an outflow pipeconnected'near the other end of thecylinder, said cylinder having alongitudinal port connecting the lane of one .outflow pipe with theother out ow pipe and two ports through its wall to theopen air, a valvebarrel having peripheral and cross orts and a chamber in oneend, alsohavmg a port leading from said chamber to no lithe plane of the inflowpipe, and also havwin a port leading from the chamber to the plane ofthe outflow pipe at the other end of the cylinder, a cap for closing theend of the cylinder and the chamber in the bar- .85 lrel, a reducingvalve in the main inflow pipe near the cylinder, an auxiliary inflowpipe passing from the main inflow pipe to the cap and opening into thechamber in the barrel, and means for revolving the barrel I40 Jto adjustthe several ports to desired positions.

5. In combination with the compression chamber, air conducting pipes andbrake mechanism in an air brake system for rail- Zway cars, an outercylinder having necessary ports for governing the system, an inflow pipeand an outflow pipe near one end of the cylinder for operating the trainbrakes, an outflow pipe nearthe other end of the cylinder for operatingthe brakes on the engine and tender, a valve barrel having a centralchamber in-one. end, an auxiliary inflow pipeleading to said chamber,said chamber and barrel having ports arranged'to coact for actuating thetrain brakes and the engine brakes simultaneously or separately asdesired, and means for actuating the valve barrel to properly adjustsaid ports for setting or releasing said several brakes as desired. I

6. In combination with the compression gchamber, air conductor pipesandbrake mechanismin an air brake system for railway cars, a valveconsisting of an outer cylinder, having necessary parts therein forreceiving and discharging compressed air as necessary, an inflow plpeand an outflow pipe near one end of the cylinder for operating the trainbrakes, an outflow pipe near the other end of the cylinder for operatingthe engine brakes, a valve barrel having a compression chamber and portsfor acting with the several ports and air pipes, an auxiliary inflowpipe to said cham- I on the same plane, and also having an open air portnear, and on the same plane with the outflow pipe, a barrel in thecylinder having a peripheral, and a diametrical port on the same planewith the inflow pipe, and arranged to form an open port from the inflowpipe to the outflow pipe, and having a second peripheral port arrangedto connect the outflow pipe with the open airport, and a lever foractuating the barrel.

8. In an auxiliary air brake valve, an outer c linder having an inflowpipe and an out ow pipe, and also havingan open port to the outsideatmosphere, all on the same plane, also having an outflow pipe at rightangles with the inflow pipe but near the opposite end of the cylinder,the cylinder provided with a vertical port extending from the plane ofthe inflow pipe to the sec- :air port, and means for securing the barrelin the cylinder, and 'means for actuating the barrel to arrange theports as desired.

9. In an auxiliary air brake valve, av cylinder having an inflow pipeand an outflow pipe directly opposite each other and a port through itswall, an outflow pipe near the opposite end of the cylinder, thecylinder having a longitudinal port from the plane of the inflow pipe tothe second mentioned outflow pipe, a barrel closely fitted into thecylinder and having a peripheral port and a diametrical port connectedand arranged to form an air passageway from the inflow pipe to theoutflow pipe at one end of the cylinder, and having a second peripheralport arranged to form a passageway from this outflow port to the openair port, the

"barrel having a central chamber and a port arranged to form apassageway from the center of the barrel to the first mentioned outflowpipe, a cap arranged to secure the Signed at Grand Rapids MichiganNolloarel ingo the;l ci llinder, an infi'low pip? vember 1, 1913.

ea ing t rou t e ca into t e centra w chamber in the barrel, 215d alever fer actu- P- SWITZER.

5 ating the barrel to properly arrange the In presence of.

several ports for operatingthe brake mech= I. J. CELLEY, anism asdesired. A. L. BURTON.

